Halt and Catch Fire

Donna faces a professional crossroads; Joanie takes a trip; Joe unveils Comet's new look; Cameron asks a favor from a one-time collaborator.

Com-IT! Com-IT! Com-IT!

Fine.

You know, I never asked you... Levecq...

But they can't replicate what they've already done.

I don't know where the key to the office is.

Hey, you're home later than I thought.

which is this massive temple carved totally out of wood.

And it only gets worse if you're managing partner, you know?

and I don't even look like that anymore.

What's so special you need to get this thing fixed today, huh?

? I try to knock her out ?

if you put a space before the carriage return?

something That'll make her feel

The thing that gets you to the thing.

Glad you reconsidered.

Now put some mustard on it, you know?!

This place was wild, empty.

I do.

- Mm. - Oh.

Destiny.

I sell packs for another $20.

That nasal gel you gave me on the plane,

it uses the same small problem over and over

and shake me all up again.

Yeah, he, uh, came by here and said he was leaving

Bye, I guess.

You know it really pisses me off,

Yeah, me too. That was the plan.

or if I've been there enough for them

I am so proud to be on this journey with you.

You know, sometimes I think maybe...

during a lunar eclipse.

I remember our Series A.

Yeah, I will, Mom.

Cameron helps Donna pack up; Bos makes his famous chili; Joe helps Haley recover a memorable keepsake.

and so would you.

working for one of your dad's friends,

I don't want to be making a million trips back here.

Do you have a copy of that?

Yeah.

♪ I'm tired of being in love and being all alone ♪

♪ You're so far away from me ♪

You need some help?

I'm surprised that you could hold out that long.

I don't know that that's a strong enough word

Your mom's totally freaking out right now.

You do.

Did you know she irons her jeans?

Gonna save them for the girls.

Well, I liked the way it ended.

No.

How could you know that? You can't know that.

Yeah, yeah, I heard it's, um... a whole scene.

I guess.

Yeah.

There's this great one of the two of you.

I always forget how good Joe is with the girls.

I don't know.

until he started working on "The Giant" with y'all.

Well, I really love it when people say, "How are you doing?"

This has brought up a lot of stuff for him.

I didn't plan on getting pregnant right out of school,

Oh, no, thank you.

He will. I know.

Joe and Gordon discuss Comet's future; Donna takes a vacation; a new collaborator challenges Cameron; Bos and Diane make a life-altering choice.

[Indistinct conversations]

I'm not going anywhere. Just a little local R&R.

A/C at the office finally went out.

I want to show you some of the videos I've been shooting.

♪♪

♪♪

And then I had to spend hours coaxing Billie

But then, what, Gazebo just instantly retreats

Yeah, a little. [Chuckles]

Okay, it's not fashionable. You're not gonna like it.

Someone shared a story about narcotic-induced constipation

Yeah. We got 50,000 hits a day.

Look, a-according to Donna, we're not even close.

she's in a different place now, all right?

[Chuckles]

No, look, no apology necessary.

Of course.

So it's all still pretty basic,

But, um, here, I feel like I'm creating characters

when the space around you does.

All right, I'll see you tonight.

[Sighs]

I don't think that's a good idea.

I'm gonna take that as a yes

What if your software was used on the surface of Mars?

♪♪

You know, in my interviews, I'm finding that people

Yes!

Yeah, I'm really sorry.

Have fun tonight.

That's a substantive change.

Oh. Okay.

He came back hopped up on some information that you gave him.

The only reason I ever even cared a little bit

I am not a trustworthy person.

Level with me. How come you're off Rover?

♪♪

♪♪

Donna makes a play for a heavy hitter; Gordon confronts his daughter about an issue at school; Cameron finds a new fan; Joe sees a new side of Haley.

I do know what it's like, to feel like a failure.

♪♪

♪♪

No, your school friends, okay?

And I'll take lead on hiring

Sailors get one tattooed for every 5,000 miles.

Not anymore.

♪ Kissing the tortoise ♪

But he's good, right? They released him yesterday?

It was a swimming hole.

Well, next time I get in trouble, remember:

It's amazing, isn't it?

♪♪

I put in a request to be on the team that catalogues porn.

I know she loves it, but I think she needs a break.

And what about that was so appealing?

"Let's talk about...

No, it's

That's really nice to hear, but I

Except, this time, it's the entire Internet.

Yeah.

Goddamn, woman, what're you doing to my heart?

And Donna found out,

We agreed that you could work here

Hey... Hey!

Well, I

Why, I have no idea. That's your thing.

The model is broken.

and copping some major attitude.

Okay, I may not sit around sipping milkshakes with her,

♪♪

You are so... fearless.

and everybody can see it but me.

♪ We belong, we belong ♪ ♪ We belong, we belong ♪

you've never even gotten a ticket before.

And they're all you, all the versions.

♪♪

Sit down?

Donna struggles with suspicion; Bosworth hits a breaking point; Joe confesses to Gordon while Cameron faces past mistakes.

"Functioning superbly does come automatically to me."

I know. You want to come tomorrow?

♪♪

- Algorithmic search is the future... - [Glass breaks]

I'm not asking you to mediate.

beyond patient.

It's the next few results where we're in trouble.

you don't care what happens to this company

Sure. Sure, nice do.

Fair enough.

[Door closes]

Cool.

Have Bos and Tanya walked you through my thinking?

Yeah, I-I get that.

Do you believe that covers Cecil's recent innovations?

She can make my life miserable. She already is.

Oh, I never told you.

So they had this intraspecies game

[Sighs]

[Mouse clicking]

Yeah. Nothing to report.

to search our own index.

It was... about how it felt.

No. He's uh, on his way home.

[Sighs]

to wrap his nine iron a tree. [Chuckles]

No, you know what I'm talking about.

Did it not even occur to you

Actually, I... Never mind.

[Sighs]

[Door opens, closes]

We should all do that.

She's fun.

♪♪

Why are you telling me this?

It's, um...

God, the sound of Diane's voice when she saw him, it was...

Cameron buys a plot of land to recenter; Joe and Gordon hire a team of websurfers to map the web; Donna focuses her team on the mission ahead.

Cameron promotes her game at an industry conference; Donna squares off against old rivals; Gordon struggles to support Joe's newest idea.

it's like you're a train and she's a train,

It's such a non-thing.

- and messy. - Sorry.

Hey.

Got twice what we thought we would.

You want to buy it?

and this idea could be worth a billion dollars.

and they are just taking a bit of extra time

where my choices were not as respected.

I'm not the one up there onstage

Do you know that you're doing that?

You do know I used to be an engineer, right?

Hardy-har-har.

Um...

- Oh! - Oh! Whoa! - Hey! Hey!

I don't want to talk about Trip anymore.

That's crazy.

not too slick, but it should be, like, clean and efficient.

You can't sit still any more than I can.

Hey, Bos, thanks for coming.

It's...

Can I stay here tonight?

you get relevant results.

what a jerk I was this morning.

after that horrible, invasive, horribleness.

There you are, you little shit.

You've played?

There is something cathartic about it.

Joe forgot to take it with him.

Maybe I'm just jealous that they had a new idea.

She has two awesome parents looking out for her.

Haley's project's pretty cool, right?

No!

If you don't like an idea, you say so, okay?

in a similar space.

basically indexing the web, making it searchable.

Haley's Comet... she made the thing.

Joe and Cameron talk on the phone; Donna promotes her assistant; Gordon's business buckles under pressure from a larger competitor.

You know it's midnight there.

Okay.

available on every platform.

Meanwhile, Loadstar stands at a whopping 431.

Hey, Gordon...

"The stick particulates in your hand"?

That's not a picture. That's a live video feed.

We built the power company.

Mother...

of the White House.

Video?

I was really rooting for you guys.

Yeah!

Look, look, look. Don't worry about it.

Oh, I mean, you guys are welcome whenever you want.

John, all I'm saying is that with AOL coming to town,

Glad to know I can still surprise you.

But I'm gonna check out your website.

My driver. You'll love him.

Okay, there's a decent chance this is gonna make me barf.

"Pilgrim."

Yes.

but at the end of the day, we'd want to keep

You've just been sitting on this?

working by myself for three years.

Let's get started.

Let's talk again in 24 hours.

our business, this business.

- No. - That's it.

you feel guilty about no-showing on Loadstar.

she's always had a major, major thing for me.

What can we apply the algorithm to that's dynamic?

in an entirely new way.

Uh... yeah, I-I guess I am.

As the fourth and final season opens, Gordon enjoys success while Joe works to keep their web project afloat. Cameron extends a business trip while Donna launches a new venture.

This is the time she specified.

[Telephone ringing]

Yeah.

Gordon, nobody remembers the power company.

♪♪

Joe MacMillan at a party?

♪♪

Jesus. AOL's everywhere now.

♪ Happy birthday, happy birthday ♪

♪ And someday, you will ache like I ache ♪

As long as you're all right with the dulcet tones

I'm doing really, really great.

Yeah.

somebody else to do the coding.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

or is she still just torturing me with that one?

Magazines.

[Telephone rings]

I took a lot of baths in Japan.

You know, Gordon went through

♪♪

I haven't ridden a water slide

Mm? For IBM?

if you put hemorrhoid cream all around my eyes,

I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm not even mad.

[Conversations continue]

- ...that I was this... I was this big, fat... - [Laughing]

[Door closes]

in a great underground grimace

And, uh, the locals tear it down,

I made this vow that I would never have kids.

Oh, I mean, he lit up.

Be honest.

I'm personally gonna drive down to MCI

Joe: Hey, Cameron.

with LP's clamoring to sign subscription docs.

and consequential in the success of more than a few.

- Doesn't it? - [Chuckles nervously]

since I hired the Blue Man Group

[Door opens, closes]

[Mouse clicking]

Uh, Jon, Shep Gramaticus, here, VP of Ops.